Shrink
by srdavidso
Summary: Lynette struggles after she and Tom divorce. Will anyone be able to save her from herself?
1. Chapter 1

Shrink

* * *

><p>It had been one month since the divorce had gone through and Lynette was still adjusting to life as a single mom. The reality of this new life had finally begun to sink in and she was starting to wonder if divorce was truly the right decision. Raising five children was nearly impossible with Tom there to help her and she found the idea of doing it by herself overwhelmingly depressing. It didn't matter that Bree, Susan and Gaby had volunteered to help her because it didn't change the fact that she was now alone. Nothing could change that. Lynette sighed and rolled out of bed silently cursing herself for thinking that way. All it did was upset her and the fact that she couldn't do anything to change it only upset her more. She stood up and walked to the bathroom to shower and get ready for work. After her shower Lynette stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked warn down. On top of that she noticed that she had gained at least ten pounds if not more. The divorce had definitely taken its toll on her. As she got dressed she made a mental note to take jogging back up in the mornings until she dropped the extra weight. Then she went downstairs to start breakfast.<p>

* * *

><p>Lynette woke up with a groan. Five fifteen was definitely too early to be up but it was the most convenient part of the day to jog. She quietly got dressed and slipped out the door careful not to wake her children up. Running was always one of Lynette's favorite types of exercise. In high school she was captain of the track team which eventually got her a scholarship to the college of her choice. After having the twins she took it back up to keep her figure and continued to jog every day after that until the divorce. Lynette started out slow, warming her muscles up so as to not overly stress them and after ten or so minutes she began to go faster. Lynette smiled; she'd forgotten just how much she loved to run. By the time she'd made it to the end of the street she was pumped and felt like she could run a marathon. Although Lynette would have had no problem going further, she turned and sprinted home to do her daily morning mom routine.<p>

* * *

><p>One week had passed since Lynette had started jogging and she had resisted the urge to weigh herself…until now. Lynette stepped onto the scale and watched as the digital reader worked to figure out her weight. The scale flashed her weight and she let out a disappointed sigh. After jogging for 45 minutes a day for one week she'd only lost four pounds. She'd hoped to lose at least six. While she got dressed for work Lynette decided to tack on another half hour of jogging at night to help her lose the extra weight. In addition, she'd cut back on the sugary foods and only drink water.<p>

* * *

><p><p>

Gaby dealt the cards around the table chattering away about Carlos and the girls. Bree came in carrying her famous homemade brownies and Susan carried in big glasses of milk for everybody. Lynette sat and watched as they passed the plate of brownies around. When it came to her she passed it on. "None for me thanks. And I really don't want any milk either. I'll go and grab a cup of water." She hurried out of the room.

"She's been acting strange these past few weeks" Bree said before taking a huge bite of her brownie.

"I think she's just stressed" Susan replied. "I remember how stressful and upsetting mine and Karl's divorce was and I only had one child. It had me down for months. She'll bounce back, just give her some time."

"Well I think there's something wrong." Gaby whispered looking at the kitchen to make sure Lynette didn't hear her. "She's just not acting like herself. Since when does she not eat something Bree cooks? I'm telling you, there's something wrong."

"You're over reacting" Susan said with a wave of her hand.

They stopped talking when Lynette came back into the room smiling and carrying a large glass of water. "What are we talking about?" She asked as she sat down.

"Gaby was just telling us about how Juanita won the spelling bee in her class. She'll be going up against the other kids in her grade next week. If she wins that she'll go up against the school." Bree said giving Gaby a quick glance.

"Uhm yeah" Gaby responded nervously.

Bree turned to Lynette, "would you like anything else to eat? I can make you anything you want."  
>"No thank you. I ate a big lunch not too long ago. Thanks though" Lynette said. Bree looked at her for a moment longer before returning her focus to the game.<p>

* * *

><p>It was that time of the week again. Lynette took a deep breath before stepping onto the scale. It'd been just over a month and a half since she started to try and lose weight and she'd lost about fifteen pounds total. She looked down at the scale and saw that she'd lost another 3 pounds. It was ok but her weight loss per week was slowing down and that just wouldn't do. Lynette wanted better. She needed to be thinner. She decided to restrict her calories to no more than eight hundred a day. She was still well within a healthy weight limit so dropping five more pounds wasn't really a big deal and cutting down on her calorie intake was the perfect way to do it.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own is the plot of this story. The characters and everything else belong to Mark Cherry.

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

><p>"Dinner on the table in ten" Lynette hollered up the stairs hoping at least one of her children heard her. It was taco night in the Scavo household and they were not good cold. Several minutes later Lynette heard the familiar sound of her children stampeding down the stairs. She sat down at the table and watched her children. The twins grabbed a shell and threw on a bit of everything and then proceeded to inhale their tacos. Parker sat and contemplated what he wanted trying to make the best possible choice. It was then that Lynette noticed Penny looking at her. "What are you waiting for? Is there something wrong? Dig in before your brothers eat us out of house and home." Lynette said to her daughter with a smile.<br>Penny cocked her head. "I'm trying to figure out why you don't have a plate. Aren't you hungry?"  
>The table went quite and everyone looked at her. Lynette was taken aback and scrambled for a reasonable answer. Skipping meals at work was easy because she just "went out" every day. Cutting back at home was a little more difficult especially around her friends, but for the most part, people were too absorbed in their own lives to realize what she was doing. She cleared her throat "you know I was so hungry when I got off work today that I grabbed something on the way home. Now I'm just too full to eat." For a second Lynette thought Penny was going to push the subject but she nodded and reached for a shell. Lynette breathed a sigh of relief.<br>That evening, after all of the dishes were done and the homework was complete, Lynette decided to go for a run. Just looking at the tacos had made her skin crawl and she needed to run the feeling off. So she ran to the end of the street and back and then did it again and again running faster and harder each time. Eventually her side began to cramp so badly she couldn't breathe forcing her to stop and take a break.  
>Lynette leaned forward and put her hands on her knees. "What are you doing out so late?" Lynette jumped at the unexpected voice and looked up to see Gaby walking towards her.<br>Lynette put her hands to her chest "Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack." She said half smiling half serious. "I was just getting in a quick jog before bed. I overslept this morning and didn't get to go so I thought I'd put in a few extra minutes tonight."  
>"Really? Because I could have sworn I saw you this morning and you've been out here sprinting, not jogging, for at least half an hour." Gaby said back eyeing Lynette suspiciously. "You've been running a lot lately. Are you training for a marathon or something?"<br>"Why the sudden interest in my exercise habits?" Lynette snapped defensively. She could hear an unintentional sharpness in her voice.  
>"No real interest, just observations." Gaby said holding her hands up as if surrendering. She changed the subject. "You seem upset. I'm sorry if I upset you, I wasn't trying to. I just opened a bottle of wine and was coming to invite you to have a-"<br>"No thank you" Lynette said cutting Gaby off mid sentence. She closed her eyes, sighed and then gave Gaby a Simi-flustered smile. "I should get home; I've got a lot to do. Next time ok?" Without waiting for a response Lynette took off towards her house. Gaby stared at Lynette as she ran. She was beginning worry about her friend.

* * *

><p>A few days later Lynette laid in bed thinking. She thought about her ex and her children. She thought about her friends and her job. But more than anything, she thought about food. Since her last weigh in she had further restricted her diet. She skipped breakfast completely every morning and she only ate lunch every other day. She usually ate dinner but only if she could do it without consuming over three hundred calories and she only drank diet drinks or water. Still, that seemed like a lot. So many calories and saturated fats, it made her cringe. Lynette thought it might be a good idea to become a vegetarian, that way she had an excuse to only eat salads…but that still didn't explain why she wouldn't eat any sweets. Perhaps she could tell everyone she was going on a diet. Yes, a diet would do. Then nobody would question her eating habits.<p>

* * *

><p>Lynette hurried to finish putting on her make-up. Gaby was having a dinner party and everyone was bringing something. Bree was supplying the entrée and Susan was supplying the drinks. Gaby was providing the house and the dessert. Lynette was in charge of brining the salad. Nobody had questioned her when she told them she was going to be a vegetarian and her friends only nodded when she said that she was going on a diet. Everything was going as planned. She figured that was why they put her in charge of the salad. That and she usually did the salad. The kids were with Tom this weekend so she didn't have to worry about them while she was at the party. Lynette did one last look around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything and headed towards the Solis house. Lynette knocked on the door and was immediately greeted by Carlos who ushered her in. She put the salad on the table and went to mingle until dinner.<br>The salad came first and everyone complimented Lynette on her salad. For dinner Bree announced that she made lasagna. "Actually, I made two. I made a special vegetarian lasagna for Lynette and anyone else interested in eating it and I made a regular lasagna for everyone else." She beamed at Lynette.  
>"I well uhm thank you so much but I just can't and…" Lynette stammered. "I'm really just not that hungry. I ate a lot of salad and I'm pretty sure noodles aren't in my diet."<br>Bree looked hurt "If you're sure."  
>"Couldn't you just lie off of the diet for tonight?" Gaby asked. "She obviously went to a lot of trouble to make sure you could eat something tonight."<br>"No, it's ok." Bree said trying to avoid a fight.  
>"Come on Lynette, just eat it." Susan said quietly.<br>"I'm full. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?"  
>"How could you be full? You hardly touched your salad?" Gaby asked accusingly.<br>"I don't have to explain myself to you." Lynette stood up. "I think I should leave."  
>"You don't have to do that." Carlos said as he shot Gaby a 'don't say anything' look.<br>"I think I do." As she went to push in her chair Lynette felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She put her hand to her head.  
>"Lynette? Are you ok?" Susan put her hand on Lynette's shoulder.<br>"I…I'm fine." Lynette tried to take a step and collapsed on the floor.  
>Everyone jumped up talking at once. "Oh my God. LYNETTE!"<br>"Call an ambulance!"  
>"Is she breathing?"<br>"Someone Call Tom."

* * *

><p>NOTE: Sorry to take so long posting the 2nd chapter. I wasn't sure if anyone read the first. So, before I post a 3rd I need some reviews. Good or bad. :D. Thanks!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAMER: The only thing I own from this story is the plot. Everything else belongs to ABC and Mark Cherry.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 3<strong>

* * *

><p>Lynette woke with a jump. She looked around trying to get her bearings but she felt groggy and couldn't concentrate on anything. So she closed her eyes. She could hear voices but could only understand bits and pieces of what was being said and she couldn't distinguish between different people.<br>"...I...years...anorexia..."  
>"...No...conclusions..."<br>"...ask...awake..."  
>Then there was silence followed by the clicking of heals and the shuffling of feet. When she opened her eyes again the world came into focus. Lynette remembered the party and getting upset. It was then that she realized that she was lying on the Solis's couch and the voices belonged to her friends. The same friends who were now sitting around her with worried looks on their faces.<p>

"Hey, how do you feel?" Susan asked as she gently put her hand on Lynette's knee. "You had us worried."  
>Bree stared at Lynette, "what happened?" She opened her mouth as if to say more but instead looked at Susan who barely nodded her head no.<br>Lynette stared down at her hands. She knew she couldn't tell them the truth because they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't see that she was trying to achieve absolute perfection. They wouldn't see the beauty in what she was doing. All they would do was try and stop her and that would ruin everything. Lynette sighed "I know that I haven't been myself since the divorce. I've been defensive and crabby and I really haven't been taking very good care of myself. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry that I worried you." She looked up to measure her friends' reactions and was instantly aware of two things: Bree and Susan believed her lies and Gaby knew the truth.  
>Lynette quickly looked away from Gaby and focused her attention on Bree who had begun to speak. "You shouldn't have to go through this alone. Let us help you. Talk to us." Susan nodded her head in agreement. Gaby continued to stare, arms crossed, mouth tight.<br>Lynette put on her best fake smile "You're absolutely right. It's just hard for me to accept help. I'll do better."

For a moment nobody said anything and Lynette could sense a tension in the room that she hadn't noticed before. Suddenly Gaby stood up. "Oh for goodness sakes, if you two aren't going to ask her I will. Did your passing out have anything to do with this new 'diet' you're on?" Bree's cheeks turned red and she directed her attention to the spider crawling up the outside of the window. Susan suddenly became very interested in the design of the rug on the floor. Only Gaby looked Lynette in the eyes.

Lynette sighed and opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She tried again, carefully wording her response. "What is it that you're asking me Gaby?"

Gaby cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms "you know exactly what I'm asking you. Don't play dumb."

Adrenaline pumped through Lynette's veins, she felt her face flush. She took another deep breath. "I am not starving myself" she practically whispered. "I told you, I just haven't been taking very good care of myself and I didn't realize how poorly I was doing until tonight." She put her head in her hands and sobbed. "I've just been so caught up with the kids and trying to make things easier for them. There's just been so much to do…" She stopped, her words cut off by another sob.  
>Susan breathed a sigh of relief. "So the new diet really is a diet? Nothing else?"<p>

"Nothing else" Lynette had become a professional liar.  
>Bree gave a hesitant smile and Susan hugged her. Lynette blew her nose and stood up "It's late. I need to get home. Tom is bringing the kids over tomorrow morning and I need to finish the laundry."<br>Gaby stood as well "I'll walk you to the door."  
>Bree and Susan stood. "MJ has a project due Monday and I need to help him with it tomorrow. I should get going too."<p>

"I will not be the last guest to leave. It's terrible manners." Bree chimed.

"Then I will walk all of you to the door."

Gaby hugged each of her friends goodbye and thanked them for attending her dinner party. When she hugged Lynette she pulled her in close. "Don't do this." Gaby whispered so quietly that only Lynette could hear.

"Goodnight Gaby" Lynette said. "Dinner was wonderful." Then she, Bree and Susan headed home for the night.

* * *

><p>It bothered Lynette how often she lied to the people she loved. It even bothered her how often she lied to people she didn't know. But she couldn't help it. The truth had to stay a secret from as many people as possible. She and Gaby hadn't spoken in a week, since the dinner party incident. Lynette hoped it would stay that way. Gaby was a variable, an unpredictable factor. She was only person who didn't believe Lynette, the only person who knew the truth. The further Lynette stayed away from Gaby the better.<p>

Lynette crawled out of bed and got dressed to jog. She no longer jogged in the neighborhood, it was too risky. Instead, she ran through town to the park by river. Nobody she knew went there often so it was a safe zone. Lynette ran and ran. She ran until she couldn't run anymore and then some. She always made sure to go back home before her neighbors were up and about and before her children noticed her absence. It was for the best.

Another week passed. Another week of lies and excuses. They slipped off of her tongue like turpentine, one after another. Lynette stepped on the scale. Three more pounds lost. More restricting. More running. More lies. But it was worth it. She was so close to perfection. Just ten more pounds. Lynette stepped off of the scale, got dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast.

* * *

><p>NOTE: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter; I've been on vacation for the last week and didn't have access to a computer until today. I'll keep writing chapters as long as I know people are reading it so keep the reviews up . Please and Thank you!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAMER: The only thing I own from this story is the plot. Everything else belongs to Mark Cherry and ABC.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 4<strong>

* * *

><p>She ate. It was only for show but she ate and she couldn't stand it. Lynette could feel the fat attaching itself to her thighs. Every bite she took was one bite further away from the perfection she had been working so hard to achieve. As soon as she finished the meal Lynette excused herself from the table and went to the bathroom. Before she knew it she was leaning over the toilet with her finger jammed down her throat. She struggled and gagged for a moment before everything came back up. Lynette took a relieved breath and leaned back against the wall unable to believe what she had just done. It had been so much easier than she'd ever imagined it would be and nobody suspected a thing. She stood up, washed out her mouth and went back downstairs before her children questioned her absence.<p>

* * *

><p>It was poker night again. Lynette had come to dread this night. The pressure to eat, the questions from her friends, the lies she had to tell. But tonight was different. Lynette would eat if they asked her, if they pushed her because tonight she had a secret weapon.<p>

Susan opened the door and greeted Lynette with a hug. "Come on in. Gaby is sitting on the couch and Bree is on her way over with a new recipe she wants us to try." Susan paused and looked at Lynette, waiting to see how she would react to the mention of food.  
>"Great, I'm starving." Lynette lied as sat her purse down on kitchen counter. Susan gave a relieved smile and they both headed to the living room.<br>"Hey Lynette, long time no see." Gaby said from the couch. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were avoiding me."  
>"Why would I do that?" Lynette took a seat on the chair across from Gaby.<br>Nobody said anything for a moment. Just as Gaby opened her mouth to say something the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Susan jumped up and hurried to the door.  
>"Thank God you're here. What took you so long? Gaby is at it again."<br>"The cake took longer than I expected it would and I'm here now."

After some pushing from Gaby Lynette hesitantly took and ate one slice of cake. Without being told or asked she took a second, just to prove that she was eating. "This cake is delicious. What did you call it again?"  
>"It's called a Butterfly Cake. It's a variation of a cupcake. My grandmother use to make it for me when I was a little girl and I just recently found the recipe. Would you like more?"<br>"I couldn't. Two slices is enough for me."  
>"I'll take some more" Susan said without hesitation.<br>Bree turned to Gaby "would you like some more Gaby?"  
>Gaby eyed the cake longingly and then put her hand to her stomach. "I really don't think I could eat another bite if I tried. Besides, I've already had three slices."<br>Susan picked up the deck of cards. "Whose deal is it?"  
>"Mine" Lynette said "but can someone deal for me. I need to use the restroom."<br>"I'll deal" Susan said and began to shuffle the deck.  
>A few seconds later Bree turned to Susan "is there any way I could borrow your pearl necklace this weekend? Mine seems to have disappeared."<br>"Sure, why don't you go grab it now so you don't forget it later?"  
>"Excellent idea" Bree said and went to go get the necklace.<p>

Bree ran upstairs to grab the necklace but stopped at the top of the stairs when she heard a strange noise coming from the bathroom at the end of the hall. She paused and looked questioningly at it but continued to Susan's bedroom. When she returned downstairs Lynette was back from the restroom and it was her turn.  
>"Lynette, was that you throwing up in the bathroom just now?" Bree casually asked as she sat down at the table.<br>"Uhm yeah. I must have eaten some bad seafood last night for dinner. My stomach has been upset all day." She reached for her glass of water.  
>Susan took a sip of her coffee. "Eating two slices of that cake probably didn't help it much."<br>Gaby turned to Lynette "where did you eat? Carlos and I are going out this weekend and I'd like to avoid spending the whole weekend leaning into my toilet."  
>Lynette choked down her water and looked at Gaby "I ate at the uhm…you know…that place over between the gas station and the supermarket."<br>"You mean Southern Style Chicken?" Bree asked with a puzzled expression on her face.  
>"Yeah…right. Did I say seafood? I meant chicken. I don't know where seafood even came from." Lynette laughed nervously.<br>"I see." Susan began to deal the cards for another hand. "Does that mean you're giving up the whole vegetarian thing?"  
>"It was tofu chicken." Lynette took another long drink of her water hoping someone would change the subject.<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh" Susan squeaked. "Ok. How did it taste?"<br>"I've never had tofu chicken. I've never had tofu anything. Did it look like chicken?" Bree asked trying to help Susan change the subject.  
>"Well, to be honest it tasted a lot like…"<p>

Gaby turned to Lynette cutting her off mid sentence "Oh no. You're not getting off the hook that easily. Last time I checked food poisoning didn't affect people's memories."  
>"Whoever said it did?" Lynette shot back.<br>"And what person in their right mind would eat two slices of cake knowing it would make them sick?"  
>"Oh, so you'd have believed me if I'd just said I had food poisoning from the start…" Lynette scoffed.<br>"No, of course not. Nobody in their right mind would've believed that. Nobody believes anything you say anymore." Gaby said through clenched teeth, her eyes on fire.  
>"Then what is it that you want from me?" Lynette practically yelled as she stood up and ran her hands through her hair. "What do you want me to say? What are the right answers to your questions?"<br>"THE TRUTH! I WANT YOU TO START TELLING THE TRUTH."

Lynette clenched her fists and took several deep breaths. "I swear Gaby, if you accuse me of lying one more time our friendship is over."  
>Gaby stood up and walked over to Lynette. She took her hand. "Maybe I'll sacrifice our friendship to keep you safe." Gaby gave Lynette's hand a small squeeze and then let herself out.<p>

* * *

><p>NOTE: Ok, I wasn't sure about this chapter and I was really nervous about putting it up. Any and all reviews, criticism or praise, will be greatly appreciated. As always, I'll post another chapter after I get a few, just so I know people are still reading.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAMER: The only thing I own from this story is the plot. Everything else belongs to Mark Cherry and ABC.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 5<strong>

* * *

><p>Tom pulled up to the coffee shop still confused as to why she was so adamant on meeting him half way across town. She had sounded so strange on the phone, so unlike herself. She wanted to meet him, had something to tell him and said it was important, but insisted on telling him in person. Tom got out of the car and went inside. He didn't know why he had agreed to meet her. Yes, they were still friends but meeting her alone like this felt wrong. Maybe it was the tone of her voice. She had sounded so serious, almost desperate. He couldn't help but agree to see her. Tom looked around until he saw her waving at him. "Ok, I'm here" he said as he took a seat across from her. "What the emergency?"<br>Gaby motioned for Tom to move to the seat beside her. "I'm worried about Lynette."  
>"And you couldn't just tell me this over the phone?" Tom said, slightly frustrated.<br>"I could have but not really." Gaby took a drink of her coffee. "When was the last time you saw her?"  
>Tom frowned "I don't know. Does it matter?"<br>"Yes."  
>They sat for a moment. Tom waited for Gaby to say something. "Well?"<br>"She jogs up and down the river trail every day. Then she stops in here for a bottle of water before going back home."  
>"That's nice to know but what does any of this have to do with why you had us meet here?"<br>"You need to see her. Just wait." Gaby said as she drained the last of her coffee.

Ten minutes later Lynette jogged up to the coffee shop and stopped just outside of the doors to catch her breath. Tom looked from Lynette to Gaby and back to Lynette again. He stood up but Gaby grabbed his arm and shook her head no. Lynette came in, paid for her water and left. She never noticed Tom and Gaby sitting at the table in the corner. "What the hell was that?" Tom almost yelled as soon as the door closed.  
>Gaby frowned. "I told you I was worried."<br>"What happened to her?"  
>"Is that a serious question?"<br>"Yes…no. Why didn't anyone do anything? Why hasn't anyone done anything?"  
>"We tried. I've tried. I've done everything I can think of and I just can't get through to her." Gaby looked at her hands. "I…I don't know what else to do."<br>Tom put his head in his hands. "I'll talk to her. I'll try and talk to her."

* * *

><p>Lynette stepped onto the scale and smiled. Two pounds lost. She was now 89 pounds and while it wasn't perfection it was another step in the right direction. Just as she finished getting dressed the doorbell rang.<br>"Tom!" She said as she opened the door. "W-w-what are you doing here? The kids are at school."  
>Tom did his best to smile. "I know, I was hoping to talk to you. May I come in?"<br>"Of course" Tom sat down at the kitchen table.  
>"Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Juice?" Lynette asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.<br>"No thank you."  
>Lynette sat down across from him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"<p>

"Ah uhm well…I wanted to talk to you about…" He stopped and fidgeted with his shirt sleeve for a moment before starting again. "You see the kids have been worried about you and your friends are worried." He stopped again and looked around the room nervously. "I'm worried about you too." He looked at her, gauging her reaction. "It's just; you've lost so much weight and you don't look very good. Gaby says you're not eating."  
>Lynette shivered. "Gaby's a liar."<br>"Are you cold?" Tom got up and grabbed a blanket off of the couch and gave it to her.  
>Lynette wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. "Thank you."<p>

Tom stood up and walked around the kitchen obviously uncomfortable. "Lynette, I've known you for a very long time…over half of my life." He sat back down this time in the chair right next to her. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"  
>Lynette gave a small, sarcastic laugh. "Why would I do that?"<br>"Ok, fine. Maybe you don't want to tell me, but you need to talk to somebody."  
>"I have nothing to say."<br>Tom put his hand on her shoulder, "why are you doing this? Why won't you let anyone help you?"  
>"Help me with what?" She rolled her shoulders and leaned away effectively removing his hand.<br>"Why do you always have to be so complicated?"  
>"Why do you care?" Lynette stood up and walked over to the door. "The kids will be home soon and I have things to do. You should go."<br>He followed her to the door. "If that's what you want."  
>"It is."<br>"I'll see you around then." Tom looked at Lynette wistfully for a moment before he turned and left.

* * *

><p>He had almost made it to his car when he heard the sound of breaking glass coming from inside the house. Tom ran back and pounded on the door. "LYNETTE! ARE YOU OK?" There was no response. "LYNETTE, SAY SOMETHING." He waited for a moment, listening, but still heard nothing. "Ok" he said to himself "LYNETTE, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME I'M GOING TO BREAK DOWN THE DOOR." He reared back, counted to three and threw himself shoulder first at the door. Luckily it gave easily on his first attempt. Tom stood up and called out again. "LYNETTE?" He waited but was still only answered by silence. A feeling of panic set in and Tom began to search for Lynette. After a few minutes he found her lying on the kitchen floor. "Oh Lynette" he said as he knelt beside her. "Lynette, can you hear me?" Tom gently shook her but she was unresponsive. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911.<p>

"nine one one what is the nature of your emergency?"  
>"It's my wife; she's fallen or…or passed out. I don't know what happened. She's unresponsive. I need an ambulance."<br>"It's alright sir, I have an ambulance on the way and it will arrive in a few minutes. Can you tell me if she is breathing?"  
>Tom put the phone down and leaned his ear just above Lynette's mouth. He gasped and picked the phone back up. "No" he said his throat suddenly tight, "she's not."<p>

* * *

><p>NOTE: Ok, so I'm not sure where I'm going to go w Tom and Lynette. I can't make up my mind on whether to get them back together or not. I guess we'll see how it goes. If you have any suggestions or ideas you can PM them to me and if I use them I'll give you credit. :). As always, I'll post another chapter after a few reviews.


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAMER: The only thing I own from this story is the plot. Everything else belongs to Mark Cherry and ABC.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 6<strong>

* * *

><p>"Lynette, Lynette can you hear me?" Lynette opened her eyes and found herself staring at a man she didn't recognize. He smiled "Welcome back."<p>

She tried to sit up but was unable to. "What happened?"

"Your heart stopped. Had your husband not been there the ambulance wouldn't have made it to you in time and you'd be dead." He paused for a moment and half glared at Lynette, "that being said, the paramedics still had to restart your heart twice on the way to the hospital. You, my dear, are a very lucky woman."

"Ok…ok" Lynette said more to herself than the doctor. Suddenly, she looked up at the doctor alarmed "Where are my kids?"

"They are with your husband."

"He's not my husband" Lynette mumbled under her breath. The doctor didn't hear.

The doctor picked up Lynette's chart and began to thumb through it. "Your body is very sick…your kidneys are trying to shut down and your heart isn't beating regularly. On top of that you're dehydrated and malnourished. If you keep this up, you'll be dead inside of six months."

He put the chart back down, paged for a nurse and left. A few moments later a very bubbly looking woman came in. "Hello Mrs. Scavo, my name is Annabelle and I'll be looking after you tonight." She took Lynette's vitals and marked them down on her chart. "If you're feeling up to it you have a visitor."

"Really..."

Lynette must have looked stunned because Annabelle chuckled "yes really. Should I send her in?"

"Go ahead." Lynette sat up and attempted smooth out the sheets.

* * *

><p>Gaby took a deep breath and steadied herself before opening the door to Lynette's room. "Knock knock" She said as she entered.<p>

Lynette groaned "Seriously?"

"Well I know I'm not the Queen of Sheba but I certainly deserve a better greeting than that" Gaby said as she closed the door and sat down in the chair beside Lynette's bed.

"If you're here to lecture me you're wasting your breath" Lynette muttered unfazed by Gaby's attempt at humor.

"You know, being a model is much harder than anyone thinks." Lynette scoffed and turned her back to Gaby. "W-what I mean is…there was always so much pressure to be perfect. You always had to go to the right parties, be seen with the right people and most of all have the right body. I had friends that couldn't take that pressure. They felt trapped, like someone had taken control of their lives for them." Lynette turned her head and looked at Gaby. "So they began to over control things like their eating and exercise habits." The room was quiet for a moment. "At first I didn't think anything of it. I mean, you can always stand to lose a few pounds in the modeling business; you can never be too skinny." Gaby stood up and sat down next to Lynette on the bed. "By the time people realized the severity of what they were doing it was too late." Lynette turned and completely faced Gaby "I watched three of my friends die." Tears welled up in her eyes and throat tightened up. "I don't want to lose you too."

Lynette leaned over to the other side of the bed and grabbed a tissue for Gaby. "Shhhh. It's ok. It's ok."

Gaby sobbed harder and jerked away from Lynette angrily "Don't you get it? It's not! It's not ok. You're not ok. I don't have to be a doctor to see that your body has reached its breaking point. You're dying, DYING, so don't you dare tell me its ok."

Lynette opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a light tap on the door followed by ever so cheerful voice of Annabelle. "Excuse me ladies but visiting hours are over and my patient needs her rest."

"I'll come back again tomorrow." Gaby reached for Lynette's hand and gave it a small squeeze; then she grabbed her purse and went home.

A few minutes later Annabelle walked in and checked Lynette's vitals one last time before turning Lynette's lights out for the night.

* * *

><p>NOTE: Oh my goodness I've been sick sick sick. Stuck in the hospital without a computer for a while but I'm back now and I will have the next chapter posted ASAP. (Reviews would be greatly appreciated). Oh and this chapter is a bit short so it might get revised in the future.<p> 


End file.
